You are a truly fortunate person...This looks like it will be an amazing home.

You must have a lot of messages. ;-) That area is huge. It'd be a great place for homework desks, but you probably have plans for it we don't know about?

I don't think your aisles are at all too wide and with this much room, I'd actually widen them a bit. If you have multiple workers, 4 ft is nice, especially where you'll open appliance doors into the aisle (fridge and dishwasher).

Good idea to have the fridge where it is. It will be much more handy than where the ovens are. I would, however, keep the microwave right next to the fridge and near the prep sink, since much of what goes in the micro (frozen items, veggies, leftovers) come out of the fridge, and you might want to add water, or drain something. If you only use it for popcorn, having it by the ovens and snack area is an OK place. If you have it next to the fridge, and it requires a deeper cabinet, it offers a nice transition from the deeper fridge to the other uppers. You could run a cabinet down to the counter there if you want, without interrupting any work space.

I have our prep sink on the corner of our island so it is multi-purpose for us, and can be used from 2 sides of the island. I can see advantages to where it is in the plan, but also see advantages to moving it as you suggested.

Will you have 2 dishwashers? It looks like you have a setup to feed many, and have the room, so it seems like it might be helpful.

I like the hutch idea. You have miles of counterspace and can give some up to a more useful unit with some character and style. You could do something quite beautiful to hold your dishes, linens, etc.

Can I ask why you have UC fridge in the mud room?

Nice space. My first thought was that the fridge was quite a ways from the main sink but with the prep sink so close it think that works. Just a thought but would it work to move the "snacks" cabinet closer to the ovens so it's still a part of the kitchen but not in the work space? I can see benefits of having it both places. I like the idea of having the message center area different color from the main kitchen. I'm also doing a white beaded inset kitchen and I'm going with contrasting island. I look forward to seeing your progress.

Thanks to both of your for your thoughts. A couple of answers. First, of all, I don't envision that whole counter being message center. It will also be regular storage.

The UC fridge in the mudroom is incorrect. It is a real normal sized fridge. Somehow the architect got the wrong idea and we have been lazy about telling him to change it. We will redo the whole mudroom plan later as we get more to the "true" plans.

Yes, there will be a second DW. I am thinking it will be in the island.

And, yes, I feel very blessed to be able to build this house. I have a great husband! This has been a dream of mine and it is coming true.

Ehoops, have you chosen your cabinets? I would love to know more about what you are doing. What color will your island be?

Keep the comments coming...

Very nice. I have two thoughts:

Make the double doors in the "casual dining" area either slides or outwards-opening.

The ovens seem to be far away from the main action. If you enjoy baking, why not make that big "message center" area a baking center. You could put a small message center on that small wall next to the double doors / casual dining area. You could also plan for some of that in the mud room and/or butler's pantry.

Oops, I meant to say that we will have the real mail center in the mudroom, but I want some space in kitchen b/c I know junk will pile up if there is no specified location for it just b/c it is the hub of the home.

Also, I totally agree with the comment on the doors. We have been talking with our builder about the doors; he likes French, but we changed our current house's kitchen door to sliders so we may do that there too. It is up for discussion!

I had a spare oven on the opposite side of the kitchen from the range in my last house, and felt like it was awkward to use. Just a thought.

A couple of comments...

MW...near the refrigerator for all the reasons RHome said!

Message Center...have you considered having that run of countertop be computer stations for both you and your children? You would be able to use the computer for recipes, etc. as well as keep an eye on what the children are doing on the computer...that becomes even more important as they get older and start straying from the PBS Kids and Disney sites! I also think having a Message Center on the back (north) wall would be an inconvenient spot. The kitchen near the main entrances (where it is) would be better...maybe have 2...one for keys, mail, etc. in the Mudroom and another for the phone, charging cameras/phones/etc. in the kitchen. I find the 2 primary places the phone is used are the kitchen and FR.

BTW...where is the FR/LR and DR? I'm assuming the DR is south (the other side of the Butler's Pantry) and the FR/LR is west of the kitchen.

Mudroom/Garage...If the main family entrance is through the garage, then I would try to arrange it so that the garage entrance is in the Mudroom or at least across from it. You want the children to be "in" the Mudroom or else they will never use it and you will have backpacks, boots, etc. in your kitchen instead! If the main family entrance is also the friend's entrance, I try to have that one enter via the Mudroom.

The island shape and corner cooktop can pose an interesting hazard. I call them hip-bumpers.

Thanks for all the input. The message center comments are "spot on." We will have one in the mudroom for mail (I have a "friends' entrance" there and I hope my mailbox will be outside that door) and the kitchen is for the phone and junk. We are huge computer people, but believe it or not, I like our current setup of having it in the basement (actually, we have a few and they are in a U-shaped counter setup). We all hang out together and use our computers. We have had a laptop in the kitchen and I didn't use it.

Yes, the dining room is below and connects to the butler's pantry. The family room is through the doors on the left of the kitchen. We also have a living room that we call the "billiards room" because it will house our pool table (that is where i have my pool table now and we like it b/c it makes use of a room no one used otherwise!). The house is a Colonial--kind of centerhall--it is very symmetrical on the front.

I have also considered the MW right next to the fridge. I guess that is where it will go.

I don't think the corner range is ideal, but without putting it or the main sink on the island, I don't see another good plan!

kell
Congrats on new home!

I would agree w/bmore esp in regards to the corner cooktop w/all that new space I would push the KD/architect for a better plaement - cooktops/sinks/DW/fridge are the powerhouses of the kitchen - poor placement will make the space less effective

Optimally cooktop should be on exterior wall for most effective venting & with ample counters space on either side for prep - base location for easy access of cooking equip - try a mock up or better yet try to find showroom w/corner cooktop

good luck

I have my ovens in a corner with an island corner pointing towards them. There is no hip bumping, BUT my aisles are much wider than yours. If you need to keep the cooktop in the corner, I highly recommend that you shorten/shift the island so that you have wider aisles.

I'll second(third) the wider aisles. I have 48" and unloading the dishwasher is still a little tight. With all the space you do have I would highly recommend not skimping in this area.
It looks like it is going to be a wonderful set-up! Enjoy!

You are going to have a beautiful home!

As a personal preference, I might consider moving the cooktop to the island. Mainly because my dh and I tend to cook together and I think it would just provide easier access for both of us.

Thanks for all the input. I think in reality, we should make the doors sliders and move the island towards the casual dining area a bit to get more space.

In my current house, I have my cooktop on my island. It isn't a "pro" range or anything and I have a downdraft. I enjoy the placement, but with the "pro" rangetop I will have in my new house, I want the hood and I don't want it hanging down in the middle of my kitchen. I nixed the idea of the big sink on island b/c I leave tons of dirty dishes in it and don't plan to change my lifestyle--plus I will like looking out my big window. To me, the only real changes I could make are moving the fridge back to the original placement (when I had it there, I had the cooktop on right wall--not the corner) or changing the shape of the island.

Any other ideas??

Hello
You have a great home! I too am building a new home and it has almost made me pull my hair out! I have changed my mind and redid my mudroom area like three times (ONCE FRAMED)! So I think I see some areas here that I think could be more functional.

I understand the need for the closet right acroos from the garage door but you will use the mudroom more. I see the four lockers (? 4 kids?). I don't know how to swing it but I would enter into the mudroom from garage and have the coat closet s to the right somehow. What is the friends entry door from or leading to?

That kitchen needs a grand wall hood and 48 inch range. Esp with the white inset kitchen. It would eliminate the need for the double ovens. Of course you can do want what you want but this kitchen, in a new home is screaming for it! You can make the MW/another oven/Warming drawer stack if you needed it. I would move the frdige to the double oven area. You could also still have the homework area all the way to the end of the wall it is on. The snack area should be in the pantry. I am not sure a tall cabinet all by itself will look right there. However a desk with upper and lower drawers/junk area will "fit".

Also, do you really need a butlers area? esp with out the sink and DW placement. I guess I need to see the whole floor plan. Can you post or send me a picture?

Hope I am not stepping on toes here. It is FAR easier to change it now than do it like we have!!

I put my second fridge outside in garage right next to the sink. With an icemaker! also could you put a stackable washer/dryer in the pantry for the kitchen stuff.. I did!!

If you bumped the island out a bit, I think I'd like the cooktop against the right wall.

Great ideas from all of you. Some things are wrong on the plan. The mudroom will have a full size fridge--not under counter. And, it will have a sink.

I am really set on the snack pantry. It will have tall cabinet doors, but the space between snacks and double ovens will not be tall cabinets. It will be overheads and lower cabinets or something else. I really like wall ovens instead of the range b/c I don't like to bend down to see in the oven and I love the idea of having pots below the rangetop.

I appreciate all the nice comments about the house. I am really excited about it and really love my architect and builder. They really understood our ideas. I will try to post more next week when I have more time to do scans.

Again, thanks for the input.

You might want to change the spacing a bit, but I was thinking on rounding the corner of the island or clipping it a bit to a matching 45 degrees - maybe taking off a triangle of about a foot to widen the walkway a bit and remove the pointy part.

Taking a second look, perhaps an angled wall behind the cooktop? I don't think you could reach those cabinets anyway and you could use a wall mounted hood. Another thought is that sometime people inset the cooktop cabinet back into the corner about 6 inches.

All these comments can be overwhelming, ne c'est pas? imo, you did a great job on your design - these are all just refining issues.

I love your space! You've obviously put a lot of thought into it, and it looks wonderful. I love the sink under the big window. I also love the big message/junk area, which seems to command that junk not get left elsewhere. I also love the big island and the prep sink at that end, where it can also be used for handwashing on the way to the dining areas.

I would only make a few changes to the kitchen layout. I don't like having the ovens in such a high traffic area for both safety and convenience issues. I'd put the ovens over in the corner where you have the cooktop, move the cooktop to the center of that wall to the right (I agree that your layout begs for a big cooktop and hood to make a beautiful focal point--I see a brick hearth look), and I'd move the fridge to where you now have the ovens. This would make the fridge more accessible to the dining area. It would also allow the MW to be next to the fridge, over near your snack zone, so your refrigerated and non-refrigerated snacks would all be together. The island could still serve as your landing area for the fridge.

I would vote against moving your island out any more. You have 3'10" (46"), which is plenty of space. I ended up with 43" and wish I had less. I use my island as my main prep area, and the stove is behind me on the perimeter. I'd rather have a quick pivot than the step and a half that I now have. To me, 39-40" would be ideal, but I certainly wouldn't go wider than your current 46". My husband and I often cook together, and we have yet to bump butts, which was one of the warnings that led me to worry that 43" was too narrow. I think that we'd need much larger butts for bumping to be an issue--and ours are not tiny! The narrower aisle also discourages unnecessary traffic through your cooking zone.

Holligator, you are cracking me up. My butt is kind of big, but my DH barely has one :) Plus, he NEVER cooks! Your suggested layout is what we originally had. I need to think about it b/c I am wondering if that would be better. The only thing is that the fridge will be in the walkway, but it is a wide walkway. But, as someone above said, when there is a party, everyone will hang right there. And, then when you need to get in and out of the fridge, there is a crowd. At parties, I don't bake that much stuff.

Ooh, this is confusing. I don't feel like I have thought that much about it but I am glad to hear that it seems like I have! I do think about it a lot, but never really feel like I come to the right decision--does that make sense? Anyway, that is why i am seeking the opinions of all of you.

I guess I was thinking more about kid traffic flying around that corner and into an open oven door. In my old kitchen, the ovens were in a similarly inconvenient spot, and that made me a nervous wreck taking hors dÂoeuvres or whatever out of the oven during parties. Most of my fridge stuff is done before my parties start, so that wouldn't bother me, and there's no real damage done to a kid who runs into an open fridge door. But it's about how you work in your kitchen, not me.

Here's a quick drawing of what I was thinking. I made the island a bit wider rather than bumping it over. I could see that area next to the fridge having plenty of room for the MW, toaster, coffee maker, etc., making it great for quick breakfast needs.

Holligator, I like it. When I had the cooktop where you have it, I had the double ovens next to it. I think this might be better. I also like the idea of having the fridge and MW near each other and making it a breakfast area. I just wonder if it will be so many steps away from everything else, but with the prep sink where it is, maybe it is fine. Most of my cooking would be in the triangle with the cooktop, prep sink and fridge. Clean up would be by the big sink. Where would you put your dishes?? That is one thing that is worrying me. I like my bowls and plates near the dishwasher, but then they would be far from the fridge.

I really like all that landing area you get for your ovens with holligator's plan. It's also nice to have the big sink close by for hot trays and pans.

Good work, holligator!

I would make a gorgeous dish storage area in the cabinets to the left of the sink by the 'casual dining', and I would have the 2nd dishwasher on that side of the main sink. The dish storage would then be close to both eating areas, and to get to the fridge it's a simple path between island and table, so not interfering with the work area. It's a long way to the dining room, but it seems that everything is.

Ooooohhhh!! rhome410's description just gave me visions of one of my favorite GW kitchens: wonbyherwits! You could easily incorporate a sink wall much like her gorgeous ones with the cool hutches. Her glass-front one is to the right of her sink, and yours would be to the left. I think this would look perfect in your kitchen. Take a look at her incredible kitchen in the FKB! There are other similarities between her space and yours that could serve as an inspiration, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wonbyherwits's FKB link

Wow, that layout that Holligator posted is almost identical to our new kitchen! And as many here have heard me say before, our layout is the BEST part of our new kitchen. The work flow is great, and I love that someone can prep and cook while someone else bakes, and someone else does dishes all at the same time without any traffic jams. If you do this layout, I highly recommend leaving ~12" or so between the end of the island and the prep sink so that you have landing room for the fridge.

Here's our

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi all. thanks for the input. I am thinking all this through. couldn't answer yesterday b/c the internet was down. I was checking responses on my iPhone--but it is too frustrating to type on that.

I am worried about putting the fridge across the way b/c in thinking about our habits, we don't take our dishes out and put them on the table, we take them out and put them on the counter or island, put food on them and then take them to the table. Also, in the morning, my DH gets a bowl and a cup, fills with cereal and juice adds fruit and sits down. The fridge doesn't seem to be part of the work triangle. I want it closer to the dishes, but I am afraid that having it near the island will make my cooktop placement tight.

I am not sure how I feel about the ovens on a corner. I realize that you like it, alku05 (btw, is your name something with KU?--watching them tonight??), but I am not sure I would.

I am supposed to get a bid/drawing from Crown Point cabinets--possibly tomorrow. I am interested to see what they come up with. Anyway, all of you have me thinking about how we use the space. I am going to play with it a bit.

Thanks for helping.